Working Stiff: Wrestling's History With Playboy Magazine
Torrie Wilson's Hall of Fame induction owes huge thanks to the magazine.
On
27 September 2017, a million floppy bunny ears fell limp following the death
of Playboy Magazine editor Hugh Hefner at the grand old age of 91. He was a man
for whom rigor mortis was most appropriate, but the stiffness had barely set in
before a broad range of eulogies were churned out of the opinion mill.
Hot cross bunny takes rose up from every side of the spectrum from the hagiographic to the high-handed, comment-baiting ideological thought-dumps rattled out to maximise the monetisation of the man's passing. Middle-market mouthpiece and lodestone of centre-right balderdash Piers Morgan was on hand to give glowing testimony to the softcore pornographer, fondly recalling the days of creepy 'Caligula-style orgies', whilst The Guardian's Suzanne Moore reiterated her prevailing - and once-over litigious - interpretation of Hefner as a "pimp".
The deceased was characterised as either one of two extremes: a misogynistic purveyor of the sex trade, or an opportunity-generating free-spirited libertarian.
Drowned out amidst the rhetoric-fuelled obituaries were the voices of the models themselves, many of whom were quick to praise Hefner for the careers he provided. That they didn't consider themselves exploited was quickly dismissed by those penning negative necrologies; after all, what would air-headed nudey ladies know about feminine equality?
Amongst those giving thanks to Hugh was former WWE 'Diva' Torrie Wilson, who posted an effusive social media display of gratitude for, ahem, exposure Playboy offered her. Torrie's ex-colleague and known aficionado of the female form, Jerry Lawler, was also quick to rhapsodise Hefner, noting his "true hero" as "the best."
There may not have been much to read into 'The King's tribute, given his well-earned status as wrestling's leading letch, but his public words, given his continued employ by WWE, were telling. His brief, laudatory comments served as a reflection of his paymasters, the company necessarily taciturn on the subject with concession to their family-friendly, PR-savvy image. The truth was, though they could never say it now, WWE owed as much to Hugh Hefner as any of his 'Playmates'.
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